DOCSLIB.ORG

Discursive Strategies of Legitimization: the Case of Abortion in Ireland in 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Discursive Strategies of Legitimization: the Case of Abortion in Ireland in 2018 1 Discursive Strategies of Legitimization: The Case of Abortion in Ireland in 2018 Jennifer O’Donovan, University of Edinburgh; Barbara Siller, University College Cork Abstract The following article is based on a study on abortion discourse carried out in Ireland in 2018 prior to and after the referendum to Repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, allowing for legislation to be introduced regulating termination of pregnancy. The main focus of the study is to identify the strategies of legitimization employed by both online users and campaign bodies in the period directly before and after the historic referendum. The article also aims to examine how the discursive strategies engage in creating national identities as well as identities of the collective voter groups. The corpus includes unregulated textual and regulated visual data collected between May and June 2018. The textual data derive from the Facebook pages of four prominent campaigning bodies encompassing both sides of the referendum one month before and after the referendum, while the visual data include photos taken of the campaign posters displayed in Ireland. Critical Discourse Analysis forms the conceptual framework of the study. Analysis was undertaken by employing Reyes’ (2011) model of strategies of legitimization in political discourse as well as the two visual analysis frameworks proposed by van Leeuwen (2008) and Ledin and Machin (2018). A mixed-method approach in the format of a triangulation design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) is used, whereby qualitative textual and visual discourses are transformed into quantitative data for the purpose of analysis. The findings indicate that the strategy of emotion is the most utilized one; this becomes apparent through the quantitatively high use of terms such as ‘rape’, ‘incest’ or ‘murder’, operationalised to provoke an emotional reaction in the reader. The results also point to high instances of ‘othering’ strategies employed by the different groups participating in the discourse. Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis; abortion; identity; strategies of legitimization. 2 1. Introduction The Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, passed by referendum in 1983, equivalates the right to life of the foetus to the right to life of the mother, thereby outlawing abortion. The opportunity to introduce this clause arose after a period of government upheaval had paved the way for the Pro-Life Amendment Campaign to assure there would be no immediate possibility to legislate for legal abortions. There were three subsequent referenda in November 1992. The first sought to remove suicide as legal grounds for abortion after the ‘X Case’ (the X Case referred to the case of a 14-year- old girl, a victim of rape, who was refused the possibility to travel to England to procure an abortion) in which a Supreme Court ruling stated that a risk to a woman’s life could be a legitimate reason for a lawful termination of pregnancy. This referendum was not upheld. The Irish population was in favour of the following two referenda, the first being that the Eighth Amendment could not impede a woman’s right to travel to another country for an abortion, and the second being the right to access information about abortion. A further referendum in 2002 attempted to remove the risk of suicide as grounds for termination and this was, once again, defeated.1 With the 2018 referendum the people of Ireland could, for the first time, vote for or against the possibility to legislate for lawful abortion. This occurred in an age when social media was constantly gaining in popularity and influence thereby allowing people the possibility to express their opinions openly on a public forum. This has opened the door to debates, arguments and information-sharing. While this study draws on previous studies, in particular on Smyth’s (2005) studies on the media coverage of the ‘X Case’ in 1992 in Ireland, in contrast to them, it includes data from social media, namely Facebook. The study thus focuses on both official discourse by campaign bodies, and less regulated online discourse. In addition to the strategies of legitimization, the study also analyses how the identities of the voter groups are constructed through the creation of a clear-cut ‘Yes’ group, in favour of legalising abortion and a ‘No’ group, against the legalisation. These identities are established linguistically through the practice of ‘othering’ by 1 For a comprehensive account of the timeline of the referendum and the abortion politics in Ireland from the early 1980s to date, see Field (2018). While Field places the referendum in the context of the marriage equality referendum of 2015, he argues that this referendum “deserves its own place in history” (p. 608) highlighting its significance. An activist perspective is offered by Carnegie and Roth (2019), both members of the Abortion Rights Campaign ARC. Insights into the referendum outcome, drawing on theories of deliberative democracy, voting behaviour and generational change, are provided in the article by Elkink et al. (2020). 3 which a group constructs its own identity through the creation of an antithesis (Wodak, 2011, p. 62). 2. Theoretical Approach This study places itself in the field of Discourse Analysis, a method of inquiry that sees language as socially constructed and as embedded in a political and ideological communicative context. In his book Language and Power (1989), Fairclough highlights the following three aspects of language: a) Language is an integral part of society and is not a separate entity; b) Language is a “social process”; c) Language is a “socially conditioned process”, that is, determined by other extralinguistic elements of society (p. 22). He thus explicitly points to the fact that language is a social phenomenon and cannot be separated from any societal issue such as exclusionary processes, hierarchies and power. These characteristics, however, are not inherent to language, as Wodak and Meyer (2009) emphasise, when affirming that “power does not necessarily derive from language, but language can be used to challenge power, to subvert it, to alter distributions of power in the short and long term” (p. 10). According to Jäger (2001) discourse can be defined: ‘as the flow of knowledge - and/or all societal knowledge stored - throughout all time’..., which determines individual and collective doing and/or formative action that shapes society, thus exercising power. As such, discourses can be understood as material realities sui generis”. (p. 34) Beside the importance of the duration and the context within which discourses are situated, the determinative and formative aspects of discourses are also highlighted, given their relevance for this study. Moreover, a broad definition of discourse is suggested, which also indicates the inclusion of non-verbal discourses. Since this study investigates discourses which serve to “justify courses of actions” (Reyes, 2011, p. 781), it considers as productive the strategies of legitimization outlined by Reyes. The strategies employed to analyse the data are: legitimation through emotions, legitimation through a hypothetical future, legitimation through rationality, voices of expertise, and 4 altruism, whereby one further distinction is drawn between positive and negative voices of expertise as the data point towards this. Since the study also considers iconographic discourse, visual approaches as suggested by van Leeuwen, Ledin and Machin further inform the theoretical framework. 3. Methodology and Data Collection The study employs a mixed-method approach, transforming the qualitative textual and visual discourses into quantitative data for the purpose of analysis. This method draws on the ‘Triangulation Design: Data Transformation Model’ as outlined by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007, p. 65), whereby first, qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analysed. Subsequently, qualitative data are transformed into quantitative data in order to compare the two sets. Finally, the quantitative and the qualitative analysis is interpreted. The language employed by online users and the discourses which underpinned the issue of abortion in 2018 in Ireland in the lead up to and the period after the referendum form one part of the data corpus of this research. Both the language used in online comments and the discourses employed in the official campaigns through posters are analysed. The second part of the data is the visual discourse in the posters. The data consist of the following: twenty-eight photographs of the campaign posters and 754 comments collected (of which 494 were analysed) from the Facebook pages of organisations on both sides of the referendum campaign: ‘Together For Yes’, ‘Abortion Rights Campaign’, ‘Save the 8th’ and ‘the Life Institute’. The comments by readers responding to the posts were gathered in the month leading up to and the month after the referendum, i.e. in the period May- June 2018. The comments were analysed by transforming the qualitative data into quantitative data by assigning each comment to a strategy (or ‘other’ where none was applicable) with a numeric value of 1. This was done in order to identify the frequency of the strategies employed in constructing identities utilizing Reyes’ (2011) strategies of legitimization as a framework of reference. The frequency was then calculated as a percentage of the total number of comments for the voter group in the particular time period. Strategies of legitimation are intended as discursive strategies
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Dáil Éireann
    DÁIL ÉIREANN AN COMHCHOISTE UM AN OCHTÚ LEASÚ AR AN MBUNREACHT JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITU- TION Dé Céadaoin, 25 Deireadh Fómhair 2017 Wednesday, 25 October 2017 The Joint Committee met at 1.30 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Deputy James Browne, Senator Paul Gavan, Deputy Lisa Chambers, Senator Rónán Mullen, Deputy Ruth Coppinger, Senator Lynn Ruane. Deputy Clare Daly, Deputy Bernard J. Durkan, Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick, Deputy Billy Kelleher, Deputy Mattie McGrath, Deputy Catherine Murphy, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, Deputy Jonathan O’Brien, Deputy Kate O’Connell, Deputy Louise O’Reilly, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, SENATOR CATHERINE NOONE IN THE CHAIR. 1 JEAC The joint committee met in private session until 2.15 p.m. Business of Joint Committee Chairman: We are now in public session. I welcome members. I welcome viewers who may be watching our proceedings on Oireachtas television to this meeting in public session of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. We will be holding three separate sessions this afternoon. The first session will address risk to mental health; the second will address termination arising from rape and the third will look at personal experience of cases of fatal foetal abnormality. We had invited the support group One More Day to that third session, however, they could not make today’s session and the secretariat will accommodate them on a date in November. I welcome Professor Veronica O’Keane to the meeting, but before I introduce her I must attend to some housekeeping matters. There are two items of correspondence that I need to read into the record.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Legal Landmarks
    Women’s Legal Landmarks Celebrating the History of Women and Law in the UK and Ireland Edited by Erika Rackley and Rosemary Auchmuty HART PUBLISHING Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Kemp House , Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford , OX2 9PH , UK HART PUBLISHING, the Hart/Stag logo, BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2019 Reprinted 2019 Copyright © The editors and contributors severally 2019 The editors and contributors have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identifi ed as Authors of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this work, no responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any statement in it can be accepted by the authors, editors or publishers. All UK Government legislation and other public sector information used in the work is Crown Copyright © . All House of Lords and House of Commons information used in the work is Parliamentary Copyright © . This information is reused under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 ( http://www. nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 ) except where otherwise stated. All Eur-lex material used in the work is © European Union, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ , 1998–2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Heresa Morrow: RTÉ One TV: the Late Late Show: 8Th Jan 2016…………………………….81
    Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Broadcasting Complaint Decisions September 2016 Broadcasting Complaint Decisions Contents BAI Complaints Handling Process Page 4 Upheld by the BAI Compliance Committee 26/16 - Mr. Francis Clauson: TV3: ‘The Power to Power Ourselves’ (Advert): 10th Jan 2016………………5 27/16 - Mr. Francis Clauson: RTÉ One TV: ‘The Power to Power Ourselves’ (Advert): 16th Jan 2016….…9 29/16 - Intro Matchmaking: Sunshine 106.8: Two’s Company (Advert):16th Feb 2016…………….………13 Rejected by the BAI Compliance Committee 7/16 - Mr. Brendan Burgess: RTÉ One TV: Ireland’s Great Wealth Divide: 21st Sept 2015……………….16 13/16 - Mr. Martin Hawkes: RTÉ One TV: Prime Time: 3rd Dec 2015……………………………………….23 15/16 - An Taisce: RTÉ One TV: Prime Time: 3rd Dec 2015………………………………………………….28 30/16 - Mr. Pawel Rydzewski: RTÉ One TV: The Late Late Show: 22nd Jan 2016…………………………38 32/16 - Mr Séamus Enright: TV3: TV3 Leaders’ Debate: 11th Feb 2016………………………………….…41 35/16 - Mr. John Flynn: RTÉ One TV: The Late Late Show: 19th Feb 2016…………………………………45 37/16 - Mr. Enda Fanning: RTÉ One TV: The Late Late Show: 19th Feb 2016……………………………48 Rejected by the Executive Complaints Forum 8-10/16 - Mr. Brendan O’ Regan: Newstalk: The Pat Kenny Show: 2nd – 4th Dec 2015……………………52 19/16 - Ms. Patricia Kearney: RTÉ Radio 1: When Dave Met Bob: 29th Dec 2015…………………………58 21/16 – Ms. Mary Jo Gilligan: RTÉ Radio 1: The Ray D’Arcy Show: 14th Nov 2015………………………61 22/16 - Mr. Brendan O’ Regan: Newstalk: Lunchtime: 30th Nov 2015…………………………………….…64 23/16 - Mr. Brendan O’ Regan: Newstalk: The Pat Kenny Show: 1st Dec 2015………………………….…64 25/16 - Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • First Report and Recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly
    2017 First Report and Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION 29 JUNE 2017 10 Table of Contents Page Chairperson’s Introduction to the Citizens’ Assembly and 1 Summary Chapter 1 Assembly Recommendations 9 Chapter 2 Background to the Assembly 39 A. Introduction 39 B. Membership 43 C. Steering Group 48 D. Expert Advisory Group 50 E. Deliberation and Facilitation 54 F. Research 57 Chapter 3 Work Programme on the Eighth Amendment of 59 the Constitution Chapter 4 Submissions on the on the Eighth Amendment of 76 the Constitution Chapter 5 Engagement of the Public with the Assembly 79 Appendices A. Oireachtas Resolution approving establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly B. Reflective Exercises completed by Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on 23 April, 2017 upon which the Ancillary Recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly are based C. Citizens’ Assembly Rules and Procedures D. Practical Guide to Facilitation at the Citizens’ Assembly E. Complete Papers and Presentations from all five meetings of the Citizens’ Assembly on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Chairperson’s Introduction to the Citizens’ Assembly and Summary Introduction Across five weekends between November 2016 and April 2017, the Citizens’ Assembly (the Assembly) met to consider the first topic set out in the Resolution of the Houses of the Oireachtas approving the establishment of the Assembly- the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. This topic is one of the most divisive and difficult subjects in public life in Ireland. The importance of structuring a discussion, which was balanced, fair and above all informative and evidence based, was the guiding principle with which I undertook all of our work at the Assembly.
    [Show full text]
  • Constitutionalizing Fetal Rights: a Salutary Tale from Ireland
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Michigan School of Law Michigan Journal of Gender & Law Volume 22 Issue 2 2015 Constitutionalizing Fetal Rights: A Salutary Tale from Ireland Fiona de Londras Birmingham Law School, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjgl Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, Family Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, and the Medical Jurisprudence Commons Recommended Citation Fiona de Londras, Constitutionalizing Fetal Rights: A Salutary Tale from Ireland, 22 MICH. J. GENDER & L. 243 (2015). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjgl/vol22/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Journal of Gender & Law by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONSTITUTIONALIZING FETAL RIGHTS: A SALUTARY TALE FROM IRELAND iona de ondras In 1983, Ireland became the first country in the world to con- stitutionalize fetal rights. The 8th Amendment to the Constitution, passed by a referendum of the People, resulted in constitutional pro- tection for “the right to life of the unborn,” which was deemed “equal” to the right to life of the “mother.” Since then, enshrining fetal rights in constitutions and in legislation has emerged as a key part of anti-abortion campaigning. This Article traces the constitu- tionalization of fetal rights in Ireland and its implications for law, politics, and women.
    [Show full text]
  • 20200214 Paul Loughlin Volume Two 2000 Hrs.Pdf
    DEBATING CONTRACEPTION, ABORTION AND DIVORCE IN AN ERA OF CONTROVERSY AND CHANGE: NEW AGENDAS AND RTÉ RADIO AND TELEVISION PROGRAMMES 1968‐2018 VOLUME TWO: APPENDICES Paul Loughlin, M. Phil. (Dub) A thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Professor Eunan O’Halpin Contents Appendix One: Methodology. Construction of Base Catalogue ........................................ 3 Catalogue ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.1. BASE PROGRAMME CATALOGUE CONSTRUCTION USING MEDIAWEB ...................................... 148 1.2. EXTRACT - MASTER LIST 3 LAST REVIEWED 22/11/2018. 17:15H ...................................... 149 1.3. EXAMPLES OF MEDIAWEB ENTRIES .................................................................................. 150 1.4. CONSTRUCTION OF A TIMELINE ........................................................................................ 155 1.5. RTÉ TRANSITION TO DIGITISATION ................................................................................... 157 1.6. DETAILS OF METHODOLOGY AS IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS THESIS PRE-DIGITISATION ............. 159 1.7. CITATION ..................................................................................................................... 159 Appendix Two: ‘Abortion Stories’ from the RTÉ DriveTime Series ................................ 166 2.1. ANNA’S STORY .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • (14-18 January 2013) 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate
    Oireachtas Monitor Published: 14 January 2013 Contents 1. This Week in the Houses of the Oireachtas 14 - 18 January 2013 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate 07-11 January 2013 - Education: including special needs, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum - Asylum/Immigration - Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services - Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction - Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty - Justice Issues/Human Rights/Equality 1. This week in the Oireachtas (14-18 January 2013) Dáil Éireann adjourned until Wednesday 16 January 2013 at 10.30 a.m. Seanad Éireann adjourned sine die 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate (07-11 January 2013) Dáil Éireann adjourned until Wednesday 16 January 2013 at 10.30 a.m. Seanad Éireann adjourned sine die Note: Tuesday, 08/01/2013: Joint Committee on Health and Children Seanad Chamber 9.30 a.m. (T) AGENDA:Public Hearings on the Implementation of the Government Decision following the publication of the Expert Group Report into matters relating to A, B, C, vs Ireland: Medical Hearings* http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/committeetake s/HEJ2013010800001?opendocument Session A: 9.30 - 11.30 a.m.; [Ms Geraldine Luddy .. to open, Department of Health and Children; Ms Caroline Spillane, CEO, and Mr Kieran Murphy, President, Irish Medical Council]; Session B: 11.45 a.m. - 1.45 p.m.; [Dr Rhona Mahony, Master, National Maternity Hospital; Dr Sam Coulter Smith, Master, Rotunda Hospital; and Dr Mary McCaffrey. Kerry Hospital, Tralee]; Session C: 2.45 - 4.45 p.m.; [Dr Anthony McCarthy, Dr Joanne Fenton, Dr John Sheehan and Dr Maeve Doyle, College of Psychiatry Ireland; Professor Patricia Casey, Department.
    [Show full text]
  • Dáil Éireann
    DÁIL ÉIREANN AN COMHCHOISTE UM AN OCHTÚ LEASÚ AR AN MBUNREACHT JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITU- TION Dé Céadaoin, 18 Deireadh Fómhair 2017 Wednesday, 18 October 2017 Tháinig an Comhchoiste le chéile ag 1.40 p.m. The Joint Committee met at 1.40 p.m. Comhaltaí a bhí i láthair / Members present: Teachtaí Dála / Deputies Seanadóirí / Senators James Browne, Jerry Buttimer, Lisa Chambers, Paul Gavan, Ruth Coppinger, Rónán Mullen, Clare Daly, Lynn Ruane. Bernard J. Durkan, Peter Fitzpatrick, Billy Kelleher, Mattie McGrath, Catherine Murphy, Hildegarde Naughton, Jonathan O’Brien, Kate O’Connell, Louise O’Reilly, Jan O’Sullivan, Anne Rabbitte. Seanadóir / Senator Catherine Noone sa Chathaoir / in the Chair. 1 JEAC The joint committee met in private session until 14.05 p.m. Business of Joint Committee Chairman: I welcome viewers who may be watching our proceedings on Oireachtas televi- sion to this meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Con- stitution. I wish to raise a number of issues about the workings of this committee, in particular a couple of difficulties that have become apparent as we have gone through our public sessions. I want this to be a committee at which everybody feels they can say what they wish to say with- out feeling any sense of nervousness or other feelings to witnesses or otherwise. It is quite rea- sonable for members of this committee to leave the room for a variety of reasons. It has already been indicated in private session that a couple of members must speak in the Dáil presently and there is no doubt certain members will have to speak in the Seanad on occasion.
    [Show full text]
  • Article 40.3.3° and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013
    2013 Article 40.3.3 and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 1 Article 40.3.3 and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: The Impetus for, and Process of, Legislative Change Dr. Catherine O’Sullivan, Jennifer Schweppe and Dr. Eimear Spain This article serves as an introduction to this special edition of the I.J.L.S. on the recent developments on abortion law in Ireland. It briefly explains what were the two main drivers behind the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, namely the European Court of Human Right’s judgment against Ireland in the case of A., B. & C. v. Ireland, no. 25579/05 [2010] E.C.H.R. 2032 (16 December 2010) and the untimely death of Savita Halappanavar. It then reviews a series of public hearings, heard by the Joint Committee on Health and Children in January and May 2013, on how to best meet Ireland’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and under the Constitution. Finally it details the genesis of this special edition and introduces the work of the contributors. I – Introduction This special edition of the I.J.L.S. has arisen out of recent developments in the area of abortion law in Ireland. In brief, the passage of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 (2013 Bill) through both Houses of the Oireachtas has been prompted by two main drivers. The first was the finding of the European Court of Human Rights (E.Ct.H.R.) in the December 2010 judgment of A., B.
    [Show full text]
  • Article 40.3.3° and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of Limerick Institutional Repository 2013 Article 40.3.3 and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 1 Article 40.3.3 and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: The Impetus for, and Process of, Legislative Change Dr. Catherine O’Sullivan, Jennifer Schweppe and Dr. Eimear Spain This article serves as an introduction to this special edition of the I.J.L.S. on the recent developments on abortion law in Ireland. It briefly explains what were the two main drivers behind the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, namely the European Court of Human Right’s judgment against Ireland in the case of A., B. & C. v. Ireland, no. 25579/05 [2010] E.C.H.R. 2032 (16 December 2010) and the untimely death of Savita Halappanavar. It then reviews a series of public hearings, heard by the Joint Committee on Health and Children in January and May 2013, on how to best meet Ireland’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and under the Constitution. Finally it details the genesis of this special edition and introduces the work of the contributors. I – Introduction This special edition of the I.J.L.S. has arisen out of recent developments in the area of abortion law in Ireland. In brief, the passage of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 (2013 Bill) through both Houses of the Oireachtas has been prompted by two main drivers. The first was the finding of the European Court of Human Rights (E.Ct.H.R.) in the December 2010 judgment of A., B.
    [Show full text]
  • REPEALING the 8TH the 8TH Reforming Irish Abortion Law
    FIONA DE LONDRAS MMAIREADÁIRÉAD ENRIGHT REPEALINGREPEALING THE 8TH THE 8TH Reforming Irish abortion law WITH NEW POSTSCRIPT POLICY PRESSPOLICY & PRACT ICE FIONA DE LONDRAS MÁIRÉAD ENRIGHT REPEALING THE 8TH Reforming Irish abortion law POLICY PRESSPOLICY & PRACT ICE First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Policy Press North America office: University of Bristol Policy Press 1-9 Old Park Hill c/o The University of Chicago Press Bristol 1427 East 60th Street BS2 8BB Chicago, IL 60637, USA UK t: +1 773 702 7700 t: +44 (0)117 954 5940 f: +1 773 702 9756 [email protected] [email protected] www.policypress.co.uk www.press.uchicago.edu © Policy Press 2018 The digital PDF version of this title is available Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits adaptation, alteration, reproduction and distribution for non-commercial use, without further permission provided the original work is attributed. The derivative works do not need to be licensed on the same terms. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested. ISBN 978-1-4473-4751-4 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-4473-4752-1 (ePub) ISBN 978-1-4473-4753-8 (Mobi) ISBN 978-1-4473-4754-5 (OA PDF) The right of Fiona de Londras and Máiréad Enright to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter 84
    Family Solidarity Newsletter No.84 Spring 2019 page 1 of 36 NEWSLETTER No. 84 Spring 2019 Family Solidarity P.O Box 7456, Dublin 3, Ireland Postal Address: 8 Ely Place, Dublin 2. Tel. (01) 661 1113 [email protected] Editorial “It is hard to begin 2019 in Ireland with the normal wishes for a prosperous new year since this year begins with the tragic inauguration of the legalised murder of the unborn. With a grim sense of timing Ireland’s president signed abortion into law only days before the celebration of the birth of the divine Infant. In taking this step Ireland has crossed a dark Rubicon. For the very first time in the Ireland’s history, including the centuries under British rule, the When Christian Family life flourishes, the civilised world benefits Family Solidarity Newsletter No.84 Spring 2019 page 2 of 36 unjustified killing of innocent human beings will have the full sanction of law. Some day in the future this law will, without a shadow of a doubt, be repealed. The names of those instrumental in introducing this law will, also without a shadow of a doubt, be tokens of opprobrium. But, in the meantime, it would be an additional tragedy if we were to allow ourselves grow accustomed to what will be taking place in Irish maternity hospitals and GP clinics. We must not allow ourselves grow inured to the gravity of this crime, and of course – as if it really needs to be said – we can have absolutely no part in the killing of an unborn child.
    [Show full text]